Urhoghide and Dallas aim for second place in Western Conference

Osaze Urhoghide emphasizes FC Dallas’s commitment to finishing the regular season strongly and securing second place in the Western Conference on Decision Day.

This weekend, Dallas is set to host the Colorado Rapids at Toyota Stadium, as Matt Wells’ team is still fighting to secure a playoff spot.

While the Vancouver Whitecaps have already claimed the top position, Dallas has its eyes on the coveted second place. The San Jose Earthquakes could potentially take this spot with a victory over Minnesota United, but a draw for Dallas would suffice to retain their position.

In their previous match, Dallas was left frustrated after a 1-1 draw with Sporting Kansas City, and Urhoghide is keen for a stronger performance against Colorado.

“We will do anything necessary to win against the Colorado Rapids,” Urhoghide stated following the draw with Sporting KC. “While we are disappointed about not finishing at the top of the Western Conference, we are determined to secure second place. We’ll give it our all.”

Despite the draw with the bottom team in the West, Dallas coach Eric Quill expressed optimism heading into the final match. “I believe we worked well together, executed our tactics effectively, and solidified our structure,” Quill commented. “We even scored a fantastic goal in the first half.”

“It was a great team effort starting from Jonathan [Sirois], moving to DJ [Daniel Job], and concluding with Ran [Binyamin] who set up Herman [Johansson] for the goal.”

It ends with a point on the road. https://t.co/kbAL6so5iw

— X – FC Dallas (@FCDallas) October 31, 2026

On the other hand, Colorado’s playoff aspirations took a hit after a 4-2 loss to the Chicago Fire, leaving them on edge as the season winds down. Morgan Whittaker initially put Colorado ahead, but Jonathan Bamba’s goals flipped the game in favor of Chicago midway through the second half. Colorado then equalized with a strike from Paxten Aaronson, but late goals from Robert Lewandowski and Puso Dithejane secured Chicago’s victory.

Rapids coach Matt Wells acknowledged the team’s struggles, pointing out the lack of available players at this critical juncture. “Firstly, we need our players back,” Wells said. “It’s crucial to have everyone available for this weekend. Against Chicago, they brought in [Robert] Lewandowski, showcasing the depth we need to compete effectively.”

“Hopefully, we can welcome some players back, as we prepare to face Dallas with a strong mindset and effort.”

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Dallas – Petar Musa

Musa has netted 22 goals this season, marking his best performance yet and the third consecutive year he’s set a new career high after scoring 16 in 2023 and 18 in 2024. Although Lionel Messi is likely to claim the Golden Boot with a lead of four goals over Musa, anything can happen on Decision Day.

33 down, 1 to go. Decision Day preview https://t.co/b6L3VRE6cL https://t.co/HuvnpCrNje

— X – FC Dallas (@FCDallas) November 5, 2026

Colorado Rapids – Paxten Aaronson

Aaronson scored his eighth goal last week, bringing his total for the season to 18 goal involvements—leading the team.

MATCH PREDICTION: DALLAS WIN

Dallas has won their last two encounters with Colorado, overcoming a rough patch in which they secured just one win from the last ten matchups (D3 L6). Notably, there hasn’t been a scoreless draw between these teams since 2021.

While FC Dallas was held to a draw against Sporting KC after a last-minute penalty was saved, they have already secured home advantage for a three-game playoff series leading up to Decision Day. Meanwhile, Colorado’s chance to secure a playoff spot slipped away with their recent loss to Chicago, marking the ninth time this season they failed to win after taking the lead, the third most in MLS.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Dallas – 55.2%

Draw – 23.1%

Colorado Rapids – 21.7%